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Hong Kong cost of living

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ozchick
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Hong Kong cost of living

Post by ozchick » Sun, 02 Mar 2008 3:32 pm

Possibly relocating....anyone with first-hand experience at a comparison between Sing and Honkers ?
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Re: Hong Kong cost of living

Post by durain » Sun, 02 Mar 2008 7:51 pm

ozchick wrote:Possibly relocating....anyone with first-hand experience at a comparison between Sing and Honkers ?
you shouldn't use the word honkers! political correctness!

cost of living in HK is higher than singapore and a lot more crowded. walking along the main shopping street during the weekend is a mission trying to dodge people.

at least the weather is not all hot or nothing. you get some cool weather during the season, and also the odd typhoon. i like typhoon, you dont have to goto work if the typhoon is strong. :P

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Post by welshlass » Sun, 02 Mar 2008 9:29 pm

quality of life better in Spore in long run-with less pollution, bigger living space, not so crowded;
however i love HK for its culture, efficiency, diversity, food, faster pace of life- yet can be within the natural beaches or hillside within 20 min from Central to escape the crowd, more opportunities to do outdoor things over the wkend like junk trip to secluded clear waters, sailing, windsurfing, hiking for hours etc. Cheaper in terms of public transport esp.taxis, shopping for fakes...

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Post by ScoobyDoes » Sun, 02 Mar 2008 11:14 pm

Contrary to durian's explanation i would say overall cost of living in HK is lower now in HK than SG, especially given rental increases here over the last year.

I was 8-yrs in HK, living in Sai Kung, and my wife and son still live there even though i am here in SG. Accomodation in HK can be more expensive but if you live futher out there is not a huge difference in it anymore.

Groceries, expenses, travel and all the rest is generally cheaper in HK. Cars are about half the price for example. Income Tax is lower and flights out of HK can at least be half the price they are out of SG. If it wasn't for the air quality i'd move back in an instant but instead i'm moving my family here because it's healthier and there is more space. It's slightly more relaxed here as well.

A lot will depend on the area you work and want to live.

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Post by durain » Mon, 03 Mar 2008 1:39 am

ScoobyDoes wrote:Contrary to durian's explanation i would say overall cost of living in HK is lower now in HK than SG, especially given rental increases here over the last year.

I was 8-yrs in HK, living in Sai Kung, and my wife and son still live there even though i am here in SG. Accomodation in HK can be more expensive but if you live futher out there is not a huge difference in it anymore.

Groceries, expenses, travel and all the rest is generally cheaper in HK. Cars are about half the price for example. Income Tax is lower and flights out of HK can at least be half the price they are out of SG. If it wasn't for the air quality i'd move back in an instant but instead i'm moving my family here because it's healthier and there is more space. It's slightly more relaxed here as well.

A lot will depend on the area you work and want to live.
absolutely true and spot on. there are certain things cheaper in HK than SG. one thing i cant compare with is the rental as i never pay any of it when i was working in HK. i was either in a Service Apartment or in hotels.

one thing i notice about HK is the flat/apartment are so tiny! if you want to live in the central area, rental is gonna be expensive. location, location, location!

although very crowded in the city, you can get away from it. there are parks and hills for walking. i once went to a beach in lantau island and it was beautiful.

i did enjoyed my time in HK but given the choice, i prefer singapore. it is more goyang kaki (shake leg) for me. :P

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Re: Hong Kong cost of living

Post by ksl » Mon, 03 Mar 2008 1:52 am

ozchick wrote:Possibly relocating....anyone with first-hand experience at a comparison between Sing and Honkers ?
:cry: :cry: :o :shock: Do you need a weekend pet! :P I'm weally house twained and a nice lille pussy cat :wink:

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Re: Hong Kong cost of living

Post by ozchick » Mon, 03 Mar 2008 8:49 pm

ksl wrote:
ozchick wrote:Possibly relocating....anyone with first-hand experience at a comparison between Sing and Honkers ?
:cry: :cry: :o :shock: Do you need a weekend pet! :P I'm weally house twained and a nice lille pussy cat :wink:
Yeah but there's something wrong with your speech !! Aghhhhh!
What's happened to my boy ? He's got some silly avatar and is babbling like a baby and :cry: ooh... KSL I miss the lumpy bits...
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Post by birkin » Fri, 14 Mar 2008 6:52 pm

interestingly, my friends who have been to HK said Spore has a more relaxed feel to it. Spore is more family-oriented too, according to them.

it depends on the kind of life you want. if i'm not wrong, HK's cost of living is higher than Spore.

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Post by sierra2469alpha » Fri, 14 Mar 2008 7:02 pm

Lower cost (depending on where you live and what you want); more pollution - rents are on the way down. Food is slightly lower as of two weeks ago. Again, do the homework - happy to share the intel for you!

Cheers!

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Post by nitesoutsg » Sun, 23 Mar 2008 3:32 pm

HK is darn polluted, given a choice will not stay there
the health cost may be alot

but other than that, HK is great place, great food, very interesting city
X for most thing
but you can find many things cheaper than SG, if youknow where to look

And the sale there is really a sale

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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Sun, 23 Mar 2008 4:32 pm

nitesoutsg,

The admins removed your avatar and signature for a reason. Obviously you could not take a hint so I've have locked your account.

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Post by canhkguy » Thu, 27 Mar 2008 7:29 pm

I lived in HK from 95-2006 and now in Sing for the past 2 years. HK was cheaper until last year until rents skyrocketed here in Sing for past year. Other than that, most everything is cheaper in HK. Sing is a more liveable place as there is more room and the environment is cleaner. HK is better for public transport (6-7 min wait for a subway train during non peak hours is a damn long wait compared to 3 min in HK), food and shopping. I'm always amused by the local papers saying that Sg is a shopping and foodies paradise...they are so wrong on both accounts when compared to HK...besides better taste, most restaurants there are open at least until midnight seven days a week. Here, you're lucky if you find anything open past 10pm.

Having said that, I'd rather live here and go to HK a few times a year to eat and shop. Best of both worlds.

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Post by ScoobyDoes » Thu, 27 Mar 2008 8:59 pm

The funny thing i just saw tonight briefly on the TV was an advert for travelling to Britain with BA. If you notice the prices they announcer happily mentions the S$998 or S$995 for the ticket from here.

There was a price on the screen next to it for the flight from HK, that was, if i remember HKD4,660.






Now go check what ~S$1000 is in HK Dollars at the current exchange rate!!!! This will answer just about all your questions.

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